P80 Responding to community needs: Exploring the eco-shop model as a means of addressing food insecurity

Background Eco-shops are ‘pop up’ social supermarkets (SS) aiming to increase access to good quality, affordable food in low-income areas, while reducing stigma around food insecurity. Middlesbrough Environment City (a charity supporting healthy and sustainable living) supports communities to develop eco-shops supplied with food via a food distribution charity, FareShare. This project aims to understand how food from eco-shops is distributed and used whilst exploring issues such as accessibility and availability of products and how this might impact on usage. Working alongside the eco-shop community the project also aims to explore ways of increasing uptake of healthier food items at eco-shops. Methods This mixed methods project includes: 1. A scoping review to collate existing evidence on SS, 2. A survey distributed to SS customers across the North East and North Cumbria to explore barriers and facilitators to access and availability of products and 3. Interviews with SS staff and customers to find out more about people’s attitudes and views towards eco-shops. Results Studies identified via the on-going scoping review thus far have been heterogenous in nature. Comparisons across studies are difficult to make given the variability in models, population diversity and ambiguity surrounding terminology used to define and characterise SS. Seventy-nine survey responses were collated of which 73% were female, with almost half (48%) between the ages of 45–65 years. Sixty-seven percent of participants visited SS at least once per week and 10.5% visited twice a week. Milk, bread, cereal, rice, pasta and tinned foods were the most popular items purchased. Eighty-eight percent of participants stated that products purchased influenced meals cooked at home with approximately 79% expressing they would like a wider variety of products such as meats, chiller items, frozen products and toiletries. Interviews will be carried out by peer researchers, supported by the wider research team and will commence in March 2023. Conclusion This research will provide an understanding of the best ways to help social-supermarkets adapt to better meet the needs of the communities they serve. Understanding experiences of individuals who access SS may help improve access and availability to produce and reduce associated stigma around food provision. Exploring new ways of using healthier produce within deprived communities is important in addressing health inequalities across all ages whilst having a positive impact on health and wellbeing.